Electric-railway system.



No. 747,277. PATENTED DEG. 15, 190s.

s. UDSTAD, BLBGTR'IG RAILWAY SYSTEM.

APPLIATIQN FILED FEB. 21. 1903. .N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETSfSHEET 1i WM @M No. 747,277. PA-TENTBD DEG. 15, 1903. S. UDSTAD.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYS-TEM. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 21. 190s.

a sums-SHEET 2. l

,H0 MODEL.

lIl I.

nu: mams w uns co PNoro L1 i153 MW? 119.712,177; PATENTED DB0. 15, 1903.

s. UDSTAD.

ELECTRIC `RAILWAY SYSTEM. APPLIGATION HLED FEB. 21. 1903. No MODEL. a SHEETS-SHEET a.

III/Wl] No. maar?.

UNITED STATnsPATnNT OFFICE.

Patented December 15, 1903.

SIVERT UDSTAD, OF AURORA, ILLNOIS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO IVER A. HANSSEN AND THEODORE S. NORTH, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,277, dated December 15, 1903.

Applioation'led February 21| 1903.A Serial No. 144|3'7Q. (No model.)

Tata/ZZ wifi/m t mar/y concern:

Be it known that I, SIVERT UDsTnD, acitizen of the United States,iresiding at Aurora,A in the county of Kane and State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-RailwaySystems, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to that class of electric-railway systems in which to the electric current is carried bya conductor running along the side of the track and is transmitted from the conductor by a pick-up` shoe or contact in electrical connection withv and the feed-Wires for transmitting the cur-` zo rent from the source of generation to the conductor; to construct a practically continuous support for the conductor and feed-wires having the requisite rigidity and strength to furnish a carrier for the conductor and the feedwires; to mount the carrier for the conductor and feed-wires upon standards adapted to be connected to the ties of the railway-track or otherwise supported to locate the conductor in proper juxtarelation to the rail 0f the 3o track; to properly and eficientlyinsulate the conductor from the standards of the carrier; to cap or cover the carrier, the feed-wires, and the conductor against moisture and enable access to be readily had forthe connection of a feed-wire with the conductor Without destroying or breaking the continuity of the carrier for the conductor and feed-Wires, and to improve generally the construction and operation of the several appliances and devices which enter into the construction and operation of the electric-railway system of the invention as a whole.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

ln the drawings illustratingthe invention, Figure l is a side elevation of a standard or stool for the carrier, showing the carrier and the'conductor in cross-section and showing 5o also the pick-up shoe or contact and its arm in side elevation; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the carrier, partly in section, and showing also the pick-up shoe or contact and its carryingarm partly in section; Fig. 3, a sectional elevation of the pick-up shoe or contact and the casing by which it is carried; Fig. 4, a top or plan View showing a track-rail and the carrier in correlation one with the other; Fig.

A5, a sectional elevation taken on line 5 of Fig.

7 of the carrier, showing the removable cap Vor cover to enable access to behad to the conductor for the attachment of a feed-Wire; Fig.

6, a side elevation of an end of the carrier and the conductor with the guard cap or coverin section; Fig. 7, a top or plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 5 With the cover removed and showing the guard cap or cover in section; Fig. 8, a similar view to Fig. 1, showing an arrangement for use with an alternating current; and Fig. 9, a cross-section of the car- 7o rier of Fig. 8.

The carrierA is made of a non-conducting material, preferably wood, the sections of which are united or so connected as to form, in effect, a continuous piece or strip from the point of beginning to the point of termination-as, for instance, the distance between two crossing rods or streets Where it is impracticable to use a raised conductor for the transmissionof thecurrent and transference 8o of the current to the motor on the car.

The conductor B preferably is a strip of copper; but it could be of any other suitable material having the property of furnishing a conductor for an electric current. The conductor B lies adjacent to and in contact with the under face of the carrierAand is secured in place in the construction shown byattaching-screws b', but othersecuring means could be employed, and the current is transmitted 9o thereto from a suitable source of generation by feed-wires b, for which purpose the upper face of the carrier is provided with a series of grooves a, corresponding to the number ot' feed-Wires required for transmitting the current to the conductor. The feedwi:res can be covered with a suitable insulating material,and a feed-wire is located in each groove a., each feed-wire running from the source of generation and the several feed-wires having lengths so as to connect With the conductor one in advance of the other for the ICC transmission of the current to the conductor without material deterioration in the power or force of the current at any point.

The carrier A is preferably located a short distance above the ground, the distance varying according to the requirements, and for the purpose of locating the carrier properly it is mounted on standards or uprights C, spaced a distance apart to furnish the necessary support by which the carrier will be held against Vsagging or becoming displaced. The standards or uprights O can be secured at their lower ends to the ties or other suitable supports, for which purpose each standard or upright has a base-plate C', through which bolts c or other securing means pass and enter the tie or other support. The upper end of each standard has a head or arm C2, which enters a cross-recess c2 in the carrier, and the carrier is attached to the cross head or arm C2 by bolts c', passing through the cross head or arm and the body of the carrier, as shown in Fig. l, and receiving on their upper ends tightening-nuts, by means of which the carrier is firmly secured to the cross head or arm. The grooves a for the reception of the feedwires should be protected or guarded against the admission of moisture, rain, and snow, and, as shown, the carrier is encompassed on its upper face and side faces by a guard cap or cover D, having a top d to overlie the upper face of the carrier and close the grooves a against the admission of moisture and having on the inside a depending flange d',which, as shown, is outwardly sprung or turned at its lower end to give an increased space between the ange and the standard for the admission of the shell carrying the pick-up shoe or contact, and the outer or rear face of the carrier is protected by a liange d2 of the cap or cover, both flanges d' and d2 projecting below the lower face of the carrier in` the construction shown. The upper ends of the securing-bolts c' at the point where they passthrough the cap or cover D are insulated from the cap or cover by a washer cl3, of any suitable insulating material, and the conductor B at the point where it passes beneath the cross head or arm C2 is insulated therefrom by a strip b2 of any suitable insulating material, so that the conductor B is wholly insulated and is free to furnish the necessary service for the transmission of the electric current without any liability of shortcircuiting from the standard or upright and the cap or cover, it being understood that where the conductor is in directcontact with the carrier it is protected against short-cir- 'cuiting Iof the current by the carrier being made of non-conducting material. The feedwires' are to be led from the grooves in which they are located to the conductor at proper points, and for this purpose the carrier at the point where the conuectionf'of a feed-wire'to the conductor is to be made is cut away or separated, and in the space thus formed is inserted a block E, of non-conducting material, preferably wood, and, as shown, the upper face of the block is provided with grooves e, which when the block is in place are in alinement with the grooves a, of the carrier, and each end of the block has a ledge c', which rests on a ledge a at the end of the carrier when the block is in position, as shown in Fig. 5. The groove e, receiving a wire b, which is to be led down and connected with the conductor, is cutaway clear through the block, so as to furnish a passage-way e2, through which the end of the Wire can be carried downward for attachment to the conductor, as shown in Fig. 5. The block is guarded or protected against moisture, rain, or snow by a removable cap or cover F, having a topf to overlie the upper face ofthe block and having a front `ange corresponding to the ilange d' of the cap or cover D aud a rear flange f2 corresponding to the flange d2 of the cap or cover D, and, as shown, the cap or cover F for the block is outside of the cap or cover D, and its ends overlap the ends of the cap or cover D and are secured thereto by screws f3 or otherwise, so as to be removable. 'lhe block afteritsinsertioninto place can be secured firmly in position by bolts es, passing through the conductor and the ledges a' and e, as shown in Fig. 5, or by other suitable attaching means. The end of the feedwire which is to be attached to the conductor in the arrangement shown is connected with a bond G, made of strips of copper or other suitable conducting material and having its ends attached to the end of the conductor by binding posts or screws g, so as to form, in eliiect, a continuation of the conductor and furnish a bond which allows of the necessaryexpa'nsion and contraction withont destroying the effectiveness of the conductor. The end of the conductor at the terminus or commencement of a section of the carrier has an upward turn given thereto, for which purpose the end of the carrier is formed on a curve, as shown in Fig. 6, and this upward turning or curving of the end of the carrier facilitates the engagement therewith of the pick-up shoe or contact in an interval between the sections of the carrier-as, for

inst-ance,where the carrier cannot. be extend-l of feed-wires b and each section of the carrier having secured to its under face a conductor B for the transmission of the current, and, as shown; one conductor is insulated from another, so as to prevent crossing of the current from one conductor to another, by strips of insulating material b5, and the con- IOC IIO

piece of material having the requisite width' to furnish a support for the conductors. It

is to be understood that with a carrier having the conductors arranged thereon to operate With an alternating current a pick-up shoe or contact is to be provided for each conductor, as is usual in the operation of an alternating-electric current.

The current is to be taken from the conductor by a pick-up shoe or contact, and a shoe or contact for this purpose is illustrated in the drawings. The shoe or contact consists of one or more blocks H of carbon or other suitable material, having its under face on a slight curve and covered by a support or backing of copper or other conducting material h in the construction shown. The carbon block is entered into the chamber of a shell or casing I, made of any suitable material, preferably metal, and the upper end of the contact is held projected above the upper face of the shell by coiled springs h/ in the arrangement shown. The shell or casing I has its interior face covered by insulating material t, which extends over the entire bottom, sides, and end of the chamber of the shell, so that the contact H is effectually insulated from the shell or casing, and,

t as shown, the insulating material is attached and held in place by screws t, but could be otherwise attached. The upper end of the insulating material is thicker than t-he body of the material on the sides and is cnt on anineline, which, in connection with the less width i of the contact atits base end than the width of the chamber in which it is located, allows of a slight rock or oscillating movement, by which the face of the contact will always engage the full face of the conductor and receive therefrom thefull force orenergy of the transmitted current. The shell or casing l is carried by an arm l', which is to be attached to the body ofthe carer the trucks or other support on the car, so as t-o bring the contact H in line with the conductorB for receiving the current from the conductor. The contact H has extending therefrom through the bottom of the shell or casinga stem J, made of any suitable conducting material, to which stem are attached the wires (not shown) leading to the motor on the car, as usual, so that the current picked up by the contact will be transmitted to the stem J and transmitted to the motor on the car. It is preferred to make the contact H of carbon, as that material is a good transmitter of an electric current, and at the same time its wearing effect on the surface of the conductor B will not be proportionately as great as that of a metal pick-up shoe or contact, though a pick-up shoe or contact of metal can be used.

The carrier can be made up in lengths desired, each length having its upper facev grooved or recessed for the reception of the number of feed-wires required, and at regular intervals cross-grooves can be formed in the under side or face of the lengths to receive the cross head or arms of the standards or uprights. The carrier is setup or mounted by securing the standards or uprights at regular intervals apart or otherwise to the ties of the railway or to other suitable supports. The lengths of the carrier are placed on the cross heads or arms of the standards and secured thereto by bolts or otherwise, one length at its end abutting against the joining length at each end. The conductor is attached to the under side or face of the carrier as the work progresses by screws b', passing through oblong holes or otherwise, and the cap or cover D is attached either by the bolts which attach the carrier to the cross heads or arms or by other suitable means after the feed-wires have been placed in the grooves. A feed-wire is led to the conductor at the point of location of the admission-blocks E by cutting out the groove of the block in which the feed-wire enters clear through to the under side of the block, and the feed-Wire is attached to a bond G or other connection for the conductor. It will thus be seen that the carrier, with the conductor thereon and the guard cap or cover therefor,can be readily and rapidly located and supported in proper position in relation to the rails of the track, it only being necessary to secure the standards or uprights to their supports and attach the conductor and the guard cap or cover to the standards or supports, making the work of mounting the carrier and the conductor easy of performance and without the requirement ot' any special skill for the purpose. The conductor in connection with the carbon contact furnishes a practicable and reliable means for transmitting a current from the source of generation through the conductor to be taken therefrom by the carbon contact and transmitted to the motor of the car, making the system as a Whole exceedingly practicable and serviceable for use in the propulsion of ears by an electric current. The feed-wires pass over the upper face of the block E inthe grooves e, and these wires have sufficient yield, so that they can be raised whenever it is desired to remove a block for access to the conductor, and in removing the block itis only necessary to witndraw the fastening-screws for the ends of the cap or cover F and remove the nuts from the ends of the bolts e3, when by lifting the feedwires the block can be withdrawn.

While the carrier of the invention is more especially designed and intended for use as a support for a conductor to transmit an electric current for railway use, it is adapted for IOC IIO

IZO

use and can be used as a carrier for electric conductors or wires, such as telegraph-wires, telephone-wires, and wires or conductors for '.electric-lightingand other purposes for which an electric current can be employed. The

lto use carbon contactsas described, it is to be understood that brushes or other appliances capable of 'taking olf and transferring the current can be used,and, if desired, more than one contact-brush can beused.

A suitable packing f4 is placed between the overlapping ends of the cap or cover D and the cap or cover F at each end of the cap or cover F for the purpose of preventing rain, sleet, snow, or moisture from entering in the joint between the two covers and interfering with the transmitting of the electric current to the conductor.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an electric-railway system, the combination of a carrier made of non-conductive material and having inits upper face a longitudinal groove for the reception of a feedwire` for the electric current, the groove opening tothe top of the carrier, a conductor connected to the bottom of the carrier, and a feed-wire for transmitting an electric current to the conductor, the feed-wire entered into the longitudinal groove in the upper face of the carrier, substantially as described.

2. In an electric-railway system, the combination of a carrier made of non-conductive material and having in its upper face a longitudinal groove for the reception of a feed- ,wire for the electric current, the groove opening to the top of the carrier, a conductor connected to the bottom of the carrier, a feedwire for transmitting an electric current to the conductor, the feed-wire entered into the rlongitudinal groove in the upper face of the carrier, and standards or uprights having the carrier supported thereon and overhanging therefrom leaving a clear space below the conductor, substantially as described.

3. In an electric-railway system, the combination of a carrier made of non-conductive material and havinginits upperfacea longitudinal groove for the reception of a feedwire for the electric current, the groove opening to the top of the carrier, an electrical con- `ductor connected to the bottom of the carrier, a feed-wire for transmitting an electric current to the conductor, the feed-wire entered into the longitudinal groove in the upper face of the carrier, and a guardcap inclosingthe .top and sides of the carrier and protecting the feed wirel against the eect of moisture, substantially as described.

4:. In an electric-railway system, the combination of a carrier made of non-conductive material and having inits upper face a longitudinal groove for the reception of a feedwire for the electric current, the'groove opening to the top of the carrier, an electrical conductor connected to the bottom of the carrier, a feed-wire for transmitting an electric current to the conductor, the feed-wire enteredinto the longitudinal groove in the upper face of the carrier, standards or uprights having the carrier supported thereon and overhanging therefrom leaving a clear space below the conductor, and an insulating material interposed between the standards or uprights and the conductor on the under side of the carrier, substantially as described.

5. In an electric-railway system, the combination of a carrier made of nou-conductive material and having in its upper face a longitudinal groove for the reception of a feedwire for the electric current, the groove opening to the top of the carrier, an electrical conductor connected to the bottom of the carrier, a feed-wire for transmitting an electric current to the conductor, the feed-wire entered into the longitudinal groovein the upper face of the carrier, standards or uprights each having an arm and having the carrier supported by the arm to overhang from the uprights leaving a clear space below the conductor, bolts connecting the carrier to the arms of the standards, insulating material interposed between the conductor and the arms of the standards, a guard-cap inclosing.r the top and sides of the carrier and protecting the feedwire against the eects of moisture and through which the attaching-bolts for the carrier extend, andinsulating material for the attachingbolts at the line of the guard-cap, substantially as described'. i

6. In an electric-railway system, the combination of a carrier made of non-conductive material and having in its upper facea longitudinal groove for the reception of a feedwire for the electric current, the groove opening to the top ot' the carrier and having a greater depth than the diameter of the feedwire, a conductor connected to the bottom of the carrier, a feed wire for transmitting an electric current lo the conductor, the feedwire entered into and held in place by the longitudinal groove in the upper face of the carrier, and means for su pportiug the carrier in an elevated position to leave a clear space below the conductor, substantially as described.

7. In an electric-railway system, the combination of a carrier made ot non-conductive material and having in its upper face a longitudinal groove for the reception of a feedwire for the electric current, the groove opening to the top of the carrier and having a greater depth than the diameter of the feedwire, a conductor connected to the bottom of IOO IIC

the carrier, a feed-wire for transmitting an electric current to the conductor, the feedwire entered into and held in place by the longitudinal groove in the upper face of the carrier, and standards or uprights each having a longitudinally-projecting arm on which arms the carrier is supported to overhang from the standards or uprights leaving a clear space below the conductor, substantially as described.

8. In an electric-railwajT system, the combination of a carrier made of non-conductive material and having in its upper face a series of longitudinal grooves for the reception of a series of feed-wires for an electric current, each groove opening to the top of the carrier and having a greater depth than the diameter of the feed-wire therein, an electrical conductor connected to the bottom of the carrier, feed-Wires one for each groove in the upper face of the carrier, entered into its groove below the top thereof and connected at its delivery end with the electrical conductor, and a guard-cap inclosing the top and sides of the carrier and protecting the feedwires in the grooves against the effects of moisture, substantially as described.

9. In an electric-railway system, the combination of a carrier made of non-conductive material and having in its upper face a series of longitudinal grooves for the reception of a series of feed-wires for the electric current, each groove opening to the top of the carrier and having a greater depth than the diameter of the feed-wire therein, an electrical conductor made up of sections and having the sections secured to the bottom of the carrier, a bond connecting the adjacent ends of two sections of the electrical conductor, feedwires one for each groove in the upper face of the carrier entered into its groove below the top thereof, each wire running to a bond connecting the adjoining ends of the electrical conductor, and a removable block in the carrier above the down-lead for a feed-wire, substantially as described.

l0. In an electric-railway system, the combination of a carrier made of non-conductive material and having in its upper face a series of longitudinal grooves for the reception of a series of feed-Wires for the electric current, each groove opening to the top of the carrier and having a greater depth than the diameter of the feed-Wire therein, an electrical conductor made up of sections and having the sections secured to the bottom of the carrier, a bond connecting the adjacent ends of two `sections of the electrical conductor, feed- Wires one for each groove in the upper face of the carrier entered into its groove below the top thereof, each wire running to a bond connecting the adjoining ends of the electrical conductor, a guard-cap inclosing the top and sides of the carrier, a removable block and a guard-cap over the removable block for protecting the feed-wires in the grooves andthe longitudinal grooves of the upper face of the t carrier and having aconnect-ion with the conductor, means for supporting the carrier and the conductor in an elevated position to leave a clear space below the conductor, and a pick-u p shoe or contact entered into the space below the conductor and traveling in engagement therewith, substantially as described.

12. In an electric-railway system, the coinbination of a carrier made of non-cond uctive material and having in its upper face a longitudinal groove for the reception of a feedwire for the electric current, the grooves opening to the top of the carrier, a conductor connected to the bottom of the carrier, a feed-Wire for transmitting an electric current to the conductor, the feed-wire entered into the longitudinal grooves of the upper face of the carrier and having a connection with the conductor, standards or uprights having the carrier supported thereon and overhung therefrom leaving a clear space below the conductor, and a pick-up shoe or contact entered into the space below the conductor and traveling in engagement therewith, substantially as described.

13. In an electric-railway system, the combination of a carrier made of non-conductive material and having in its upper face a longitudinal groove for the reception of a feed-wire for the electric current leading to an electrical conductor, the groove opening to the top of the carrier, and having also a longitudinal groove for the reception of a wire lor the transmission of an electric current, a feedwire entered into the longitudinal groove in the upper face of the carrier, and a wire for transmitting an electric current entered into the additional groove of the carrier, substantially as described.

I4. In an electric-railway system, the combination of a carrier made of non-conductive material andhaving in its upperface alongitudinal groove for the reception of a feed-wire for the electric current, the groove opening to the top of the carrier and having an additional groove for the reception of a currenttransmitting wire, a conductor connected to the bottomof the carrier and to which the feed-wire in the top groove of the carrier leads, a feed-wire for transmitting an electric current to the conductor, the feed- Wire entered into the longitudinal groove in the upper face of the carrier, and a wire for transmitting an electric current entered into the ICO IIO

additional groove of the carrier, substantially as described. v

15. In an -electric-railway system, the combinationof a carrier made of non-conductive material and having in its upper face a series of longitudinal grooves for the reception of a series of feed-Wires'for the electric current of the electrical conductor, each groove opening to the top of the carrier, and having in its side longitudinal grooves, each groove opening to the side face of the carrier and each groove adapted for the reception of a currenttransmittingr Wire, a conductor connected to the bottom of the carrier, feed-Wires one for Veach groove in the upper face of the carrier and entered into the 4groove below the top thereof and held in place thereby, each feed- Wire having a connection with the. electrical conductor, transmission Wires for the electric current one entered into each side groove of the carrier, and means for supporting the carrier and the conductor thereon in an elevated position to leave a clear space below the conductor, substantially as described.

SIVERT UDSTAD. Witnesses:

OSCAR W. BOND, SAMUEL W. BANNING. 

